


sense in a manner

by preromantics



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-12
Updated: 2010-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-08 21:48:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preromantics/pseuds/preromantics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Arthur makes what is probably qualified as a very undignified sleep-noise in response, something that vaugely planned to be a 'thanks' in his head.</i></p><p>The boy spares him one more glance before leaving, probably under the impression Arthur is slow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sense in a manner

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on LJ 2/24/09.

The thing Arthur used to hate most about returning home from University for the summer holidays was having to help out at Uther's law offices. He especially hated his father's stern looks whenever he suggested something on a case. No, he wasn't studying law -- but just because he was studying poly sci, didn't mean he shouldn't have an opinion on right and wrong.

Anyway, he used to hate that, is the important thing. Now, however, Uther has (finally) retired from the law offices of Pendragon and Witherly to a country house near the seaside, and that is where Arthur is headed. Undoubtly he'll find something about it to hate as well, because already his train was late coming into the station and he's not seen anything but green hills for at least a half hour.

By the time the train rolls into the station Arthur has fallen asleep, cheek pressed into the window, mouth open.

Someone shakes him awake, gently, and he blinks his eyes open, slowly, feeling the crick in his neck as soon as awareness started to seep back into him.

"The train has, uh, stopped. You're the last one remaining and I saw you asleep when I passed by." Looking awkward the boy (man? He's slight of figure with earnest eyes, Arthur can quite tell his age,) quirks a small smile at him, one hand still on Arthur's shoulder until he seemingly realizes and quickly withdraws it.

The train whistle blows it's last call, and the boy jumps a little. "You should probably hurry."

Arthur makes what is probably qualified as a very undignified sleep-noise in response, something that vaugely planned to be a 'thanks' in his head.

The boy spares him one more glance before leaving, probably under the impression Arthur is slow.

Arthur gathers his things as quickly as possible and leaves the train just as the valets are shutting all of the doors.

 

-

The station is. Depressingly small and empty, even for the country side. There is a car waiting for him, black with tinted windows and with a different driver than Uther had in the city.

"How badly should I prepare myself for utter boredom?" Arthur asks the driver in jest once they've started down the road.

He doesn't respond beyond a slight raised eyebrow in the rear-view mirror. Arthur closes his eyes, tight, for just a few moments and looks out the window the entire ride, eyes crossed.

 

-

Beyond a small village of shops that look like they might get vaguely busy later in the summer, and a few clusters of houses (from smaller shacks to manors that only provided Arthur with a view of their sprawling, lush lawns -- Uther of course owns one of the latter) there was not much to improve his already formed opinion of The Worst Holiday Ever.

Except the seaside, maybe. Arthur got just quick glances of it on the moderately short ride, the glittering water peaking through trees. If anything, he could go an swim in chilly waves like when he was a boy.

The lawn and landscaping that leads up to the house (maybe manor would be a more appropriate word) is expensive looking and pretentiously showy. There is a fountain surrounded by large oaks. Arthur misses the London townhouse he grew up in quite suddenly, and although it was lavish and rich, at least it wasn't entirely intimidating from the outside.

A butler greets him at the front door. What his father needs a butler for in while he lives alone in retirement is lost on Arthur -- surely after all these years he has learned to fold his own socks. Someone to clean the house, Arthur understands, since even the wooden paneling in the foyer looks like a gigantic dust trap. Also someone to cook. Uther was always rubbish at trying to cook any sort of food beyond toast.

Arthur realizes he's been staring, standing in the threshold.

"I'll take your things, your father is in the study," the butler says, disappearing before Arthur can ask where the study is.

Luckily, it's not to hard to find, and Uther stands when Arthur walks in, seemingly pleased to see him. They embrace, and are sitting across from one another at Uther's grand old desk before Arthur notices it.

'It' being a cat. Curled up in one of the bookshelf cubbies, watching him with slangy eyes.

"That's Morgana," Uther tells him, when he notices Arthur is looking over, "she was born under the house and the Realtor said she should be taken away, but." He gestures briefly, expansively, to nothing in particular.

"That was," Arthur searches for the right word, mildly surprised. His father never stuck him as, well, a cat person. "Compassionate of you. To take her in."

"Well, yes," Uther says, in a manner that says that part of their conversation is over.

They talk about school (yes, he could probably get in to law school, no, he doesn't want to.) And shortly about how they've both been. Arthur studies the lines on his fathers face and tries not to think about the long span of time ahead of him before University starts again.

-

Uther, as it turns out, does have a cook. ('Thankfully,' Arthur does not say.) The 'butler' - who also goes by Jason is part time, usually only for when Uther has company. ('What company?' Arthur again does not say.)

They eat together in companionable silence, and later Arthur crashes on top of his bed covers still half in his clothes.

-

"You need to go to town and pick up some things. I've made a list," Uther says over an early (too early) breakfast. At least one thing hasn't change about his father -- the orders.

Arthur declines the offer of being driven and decides to walk. Its not like he has anything to do all day, anyway.

Town ends up being a good 20 minute walk from the house/manor. He stops first to get a bag of his own grocery needs, fresh bread and some thick chunks of chocolate from the confectioners. Then to the small pharmaceutical store across the street.

A bell rings obnoxiously above his head when he walks inside, and glass shatters somewhere to his right. A low curse comes from behind an aisle and Arthur steps forward to investigate.

Staring down at the floor with a vaugely puzzled expression on his face is the boy from the train. Behind him in a rush comes an older man, two large bottles of pills in his hands.

"Merlin!" He says at the boy, surveying the mess, "Heaven forbid you actually go a day without breaking things."

"It's the damn bells, Gaius, they always startle me," the boy (Merlin?) gripes, and the pair glare at each other good naturedly until the older man notices Arthur standing there.

"Oh," he says, "don't mind us. I suppose you'll be needing me, I'll be right back."

"Your name is Merlin? Really?" Arthur asks when Gaius has walked away.

"Yes, really," Merlin says. He gives him a meek, long suffering sort of look.

When he can't find anything to say to that, Arthur just shrugs at him a little, leaning down to kneel. "I'm Arthur," he says, starting to pick up shards of glass.

If he's going to be stuck in the country for the summer, he might as well make a friend in the process.

Merlin looks down at the glass, "You don't have to help," he says.

Arthur gives him a small grin, "I did set off those scary bells, didn't I? Its the least I can do."

Merlin quirks an eyebrow, eyes shining a little like he finds that amusing, although not enough so to laugh. "Okay, then, Arthur."

He says Arthur's name formally, like women at Uther's annual society parties, 'Oh, Arthur, how you've grown.' He almost laughs, thinking of Merlin as an old society lady, and briefly thinks the country will make him mad before he can leave if he has already started thinking of men he's just met in dresses.

 

-

 

The walk home feels longer but is still a nice one, and Arthur takes a small detour through overgrown trees into sand dunes to take a look at part of the beach. The surf looks unforgiving, even though the sun is bright and strong against Arthur's back.

"Did you get lost?" Uther asks when Arthur comes in, jean legs rolled up around his ankles and feet sandy in his shoes.

"No, I just took a detour," Arthur replies.

Uther looks at him skeptically but makes his retreat, somehow having managed to grab some of Arthur's bread. "Next time just call if you get lost," he says.

Arthur feels the foolish urge to stick out his tongue and make a face at his fathers retreating back. Of course he doesn't, though, he's a mature and sensible student of political science now, it wouldn't be proper.

(He sticks his tongue out at his own reflection in the bathroom mirror later anyway, just to see how it looks. It looks worse than he thought.)

 

-

 

Arthur lays around the next day with some required summer reading, but quickly loses interest. Morgana comes in his room for a little, curiously poking around his suitcase. She leaves quickly enough, disinterested and Arthur watches her leave with a flick of her tail.

Before dinner he explores the grounds a little, almost missing the grunt work he used to be assigned at Pendragon &amp; Witherly, before remembering the disaster the previous year with the copier toner shipment and his impromptu game of rugby in the park with friends.

Copier toner does not easily come out of hair. Or skin. Or clothes.

 

-

 

The following day (after the previous waste of a day) Arthur sets out around noontime for town.

He isn't in search of anything in particular, but finds his feet heading to the pharmacy in search of Merlin. Before he gets there, however, he runs into Merlin at a little outdoor cafe, sitting and chatting animatedly with a waitress.

The waitress notices him first, shoving at Merlin's shoulder until he turns around.

Merlin's mouth makes a tiny 'O' shape that quickly disappears. "Arthur, hi."

Arthur gives him a small nod, "I was sort of hoping to find you around," he says, strangely more honest than anything he had prepared to say on the walk to town. (Not that really prepared things to say, of course not.)

The waitress smirks at him a little, before flattening her face while Merlin watches Arthur awkwardly and he's sure he looks some what the same. "Well," she says, slightly sarcastic, "If Merlin isn't going to introduce me, then I'll have to do it myself. I'm Gwen." She sticks out a hand for Arthur to shake and he takes it gently.

Someone from inside calls her name and she grins in an apologetic way. "Also," she says, cheerily enough, "it looks like my break is over. See you around."

"So," Arthur says, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"So," echoes Merlin, leaning back into his chair.

-

They end up on a sort of nature walk that starts off as Merlin offering to show him around after several cups of coffee and talk of themselves (Merlin grew up here, and comes home in the summer, Arthur grew up in the city and has no idea how Merlin could have actually lived here.)

The walk is interesting enough, but their small talk is nicer. Arthur finds himself questioning Merlin and enjoying his sometimes simple, sometimes babbling answers. It's. Nice.

They climb a hill, which Arthur finds no trouble but has Merlin huffing in an endearing way.

(What? Arthur's brain doesn't supply much besides the sun is too hot to be thinking, anyway.)

"It's my second favorite spot," Merlin says, once they reach the crest. It's actually a little blustery, and Arthur stands close to hear him.

Down below them, the entire village is spread out in miniature. It looks bigger than Arthur thought it was, and it glows in the afternoon light. After the village is the sea, completely dwarfing the coastline as it spreads out endlessly.

"Where's your first favorite spot?" Arthur asks, after a lengthy but comfortable silence.

"Oh," Merlin says, and he looks thoughtfully out at the sea. Arthur watches him sidelong, noticing his facial features, how his face is narrow but boyish, and how his eyelashes look long and soft.

"Did you hear me?" Merlin asks, tilting forward to look at Arthur's face. Arthur has a quick thought of watching him roll all the way back down the hill.

Merlin laughs at him, quiet. "Let's go back," he says, and starts down the hill.

 

-

 

Arthur falls asleep warm and comfortable under his covers, thinking of the way Merlin squinted at him in the sun when he said goodbye.

 

-

 

So, maybe Arthur has a crush. A really stupid one, in fact, because it's on a glass-breaking, country-living, strange person he just met who laughs quietly and smiles like he's surprised to be doing it.

He wakes up to this thought, and also Morgana using his stomach as a springboard to get to the windowsill.

"Ugh," he says, coherently, sitting up halfway before deciding to lay back down and think more about his new found discovery.

Morgana sits up on the windowsill, silently judging him.

 

-

 

Arthur once again ends up at the cafe where Gwen works the next day, she's busy with a lunch rush (where they all come from, Arthur has no clue,) and doesn't get to talk to him beyond a greeting with some sort of sly woman-code smile for something that Arthur doesn't attempt to decipher.

He half-hopes (okay, whole-hopes) that Merlin might show up, but he doesn't, and so Arthur is forced to walk over to the Pharmacy.

Merlin doesn't drop anything when Arthur walks in, but he does smile. Gaius is behind him, counting pills.

"Oh good," Gaius says, "you can take Merlin somewhere, he hasn't stopped talking about you for two days now."

Arthur stares at him slightly before laughing at Merlin's pink cheeks.

"Thanks," Merlin says, aimed at the room in general and very sarcastic.

"What? I'm giving you the day off, now go," Gaius says.

Which is how Arthur ends up spending a day by the sea (not so quietly, as the tourists are beginning to filter in, staring wide-eyed at the cresting waves and screaming when they run into the water) with Merlin, walking until his feet seem to have a permanent crust of sand on them.

Again, it's nice, in a strange and comfortable way.

Before they take their leave, Arthur (dashingly, bravely -- okay, somewhat fumbling), asks what time Merlin's lunch is every day.

 

-

 

"So," Arthur says, on his and Merlin's fifth lunch in a row, at the same little cafe where Gwen works and shoots them strange looks over her ordering notebook.

"So," Merlin says back. (They tend to do this a lot, sometimes as a joke, sometimes. As something else.

"Can we go to your first favorite spot, or is it a Merlin secret?" Arthur finally says, after they share a small staring match.

Merlin regards him silently for a few seconds, and Gwen walks by and hits him with her elbow 'by accident' and doesn't look back.

"Yeah," Merlin says, "I'll take you there, if you'd like. I mean, I'd like. It's um, it's a hike."

Arthur claps his hands together, willing down the happy clenching his stomach is doing. "I'd like that, too, then."

-

When Arthur gets home, he finds Uther on the floor, groaning.

"Get Gaius," Uther says, and Arthur calls right away, and schedules a house call for the next morning -- the soonest he was available -- and helps his father up the stairs.

It's strange, to be helping his father like that. Uther, for all his faults, is a stable rock. Arthur may have grown into his own back at school, but it's hard to see just a little chip of the foundation he grew up with crumble.

 

-

 

As soon as Arthur gets the basket out from under the cabinets, Morgana comes and twists around his ankles, flicking her tail against his shin. She hops up on the counter next to the basket and stares at him with squinty eyes.

Arthur stares right back at her, one eyebrow raised. "You aren't allowed on the counter," he tells her.

As cats do, Morgana takes no heed of his words, and instead follows him to the sink, where he starts cutting up apples. "I know you're judging me," Arthur says, slicing clean pieces and enjoying the crisp, fresh sound they make, "I can tell."

Morgana quirks her head, dipping a paw in the stream of the sink faucet when Arthur turns it on to rinse the knife. At least someone listens to him in the house.

"You think I'm being presumptuous bringing a lunch along, don't you? That's why you're watching me like that." Arthur sighs, rubbing at the back of his neck, wrapping the apple slices in white napkins. "We've been eating lunch for five days, now. It's not like that."

He decides on peanut butter sandwiches, hoping, briefly, that Merlin doesn't have an allergy -- although it wouldn't surprise him. As a last minute thing, he adds a bottle of wine.

Morgana brushes against his arm impatiently, still up on the counter, still glaring. Although, Arthur reflects, maybe that's what her face always looks like. "No wine?" he asks her, and takes it out of the basket after she pointedly looks at him.

"I'm taking advice from a cat," Arthur sighs, when he's completely finished packing.

Someone laughs from behind him, and Arthur turns to find Gaius leaning on the kitchen island. "You're also talking to yourself," he says, in that mildly demeaning way he has that doesn't really warrant any anger. "Your father will be fine, by the way, I've just left him some pills for his back."

"Oh, that's good, thank you."

Morgana jumps off the counter when Gaius goes to leave, taking his exit through the kitchen door, flooding the room with sunlight. She follows him, obviously annoyed when he shuts the door in her face, and instead stalks over to a patch of sunlight on the floor, curling up.

Arthur shakes his head, grabbing the basket off the counter, and frowning at the small nervous feeling building up inside him. He's going for a hike with a new friend (with a charming smile, shining eyes, and a nicely shaped nose) and everything is fine, and the country is still boring.

Right.

 

-

 

Merlin's hair is, well, wild, when they meet for their hike.

"Did you even attempt to brush your hair this morning?" Arthur asks him, smiling. The day is bright and everything he's thinking of doing is stupid, reckless, and the country is somewhat charming.

Merlin laughs, louder than usual, and bumps his shoulder against Arthur's upper arm.

Arthur shrugs at his back, and follows him back up the hill from before.

They walk for what seems like forever, over the hill and then down it, and through a worn path where the grass around them is almost knee high.

The end result is not exactly what Arthur was expecting, not like the view of the village with the afternoon sun and endless ocean. Merlin takes him out to some black rocks by the sea, where the sand is course and rough and hurts Arthur's toes when he walks over it.

Merlin shrugs at him, the light wind messing his hair up even more. "It's nothing special, I guess, it's just so quiet out here."

The waves are crashing on the shore, and the wind is steadily gaining in noise. Still, Arthur somewhat understands. Merlin is a little bit of a mystery, and that's okay.

They sit on the rocks and eat the lunch Arthur made, quietly.

"I'm here for the whole summer," Arthur points out, watching Merlin chew.

"I know," Merlin says, from around his sandwich.

Arthur looks at him as pointedly as he can, and Merlin looks right back. "Okay," Arthur says, losing nerve, "just so you know."

Merlin looks over at him thoughtfully. The air smells like salt and Arthur's mouth is sticky from the peanut butter.

"What?" Arthur asks, finally, wiping self-consciously at his cheek.

Merlin smiles at him, eyes bright. "Nothing," he says, and turns back to look at the waves, hair sticking up in the wind.


End file.
